Showers Brothers Furniture was started in 1868 when William and James Showers bought out their father's interest in a Bloomington cabinetmaking business for $300. From this humble beginning, the Showers Brothers Company would grow to the point that in the 1920s, it produced 60 percent of the furniture manufactured in the U.S., claiming distinction as “The World’s Largest Furniture Factory.”

Little is known about the origins of the Showers family business. Charles Showers, a preacher and cabinetmaker, came to Bloomington sometime in the mid 1850s. He opened a furniture and coffin-making shop on the Bloomington downtown square shortly afterwards. At some point, Charles' sons, William and James, bought out their father's interest in the business for $300 and moved the business to a new store on Ninth and Grant Streets when neighbors complained about the noise from the shop.

The Bloomington U Club was the second location, after the original restaurant was opened at Ball State. The original restaurant was spun off and is no longer affiliated with the current U Club LLC. The owners intended to open other locations in the region.

Mark Gilcrest has ties to Bloomington, though he is a Chicago native. His parents were both native Hoosiers and went to school at Indiana University. They were also married in Bloomington. Gilcrest still maintains a home in Bloomington as well as Chicago.

Ladyman's Cafe is a small restaurant that opened on Kirkwood Avenue in 1957 in it's current location. It's known for it's simple, home-cooked meals and fresh-baked pies. The resturant closed on December 10th, 2006.

The restaurant was originally opened by Ted Ladyman, who has worked there throughout its existence. His sons Mike and Ted have also helped administer the restaurant during the 80s and 90s. In 2002, Ladyman sold the restaurant to longtime waitress, Dana Reynolds and Stewart Coe. He remained working in the restaurant as a cook after it sold. He worked alongside cook Jack Covert, who has also been working in the restuarant since it opened.

The Beaux Arts style building at the corner of Fourth and Walnut Streets was erected in 1915. It was originally used as the Bloomington City Hall until 1965 when the Bloomington Police Department moved in. The BPD moved out of the building in 1985, leaving it virtually vacant for five years. One tenant, the Bloomington Fire Department, used the south side of the 2nd floor as dormitory space for firefighters in the adjacent fire station.

After several failed attempts at the creation of an area arts center, the Bloomington Area Arts Council was finally able to raise the money necessary to renovate the old City Hall Building in 1990. The fundraising effort received a tremendous boost through the initially anonymous donation of $375,000 to the project by Cecile Waldron. In gratitude for the donation, the BAAC named the building after John Waldron, a prominent city politician in the 1800s and great-grandfather to Cecile Waldron's husband, Charles. The City of Bloomington handed over the deed to the property to the BAAC in a ceremony on July 31, 1990 at the Fountain Square atrium. The BAAC compaign coordinator was Evelyn Powers.

Week 48 - (November 27th - December 3rd)

Aver's Pizza is a locally owned and operated take-out and delivery pizza establishment which produces a variety of creative and original pizzas. Aver's was started on October 25th, 1995 by Brad Randall and Kris Kaiser, and was financed by cash advances on credit cards and donations from family members. In the beginning, the two worked long hours by themselves to get lunch and dinner business. An ad in the Bloomington Voice in December 1995 got the ball rolling.

A 'topping of the week' campaign, which later evolved into the 'pizza of the week' campaign utilized some unusual and creative ingredients such as red potatoes and baby clams. While this campaign is no longer active, some of the better creations that came out of it are still on the menu today.

Tutto Bene, meaning everything is good in Italian, is the namesake of Bloomington's only wine cafe located at 213 S. Rogers Street. The cafe, housed in a refurbished frozen foods warehouse, has an open seating concept that includes couches, coffee tables, and partitions making it very flexible while hosting musical performances and art exhibitions.

At any one time, approximately 30 wines were offered by the glass ranging in price from $5 to $11 per glass; there are hundreds of more options offered by the bottle. Tutto Bene's food selection is influenced by multiple international cuisines and makes use of the most local farms and local food distributors of any restaurant in Bloomington. The food is served in the tapas style (small plates) accompanied by fresh baked bread from Bloomington's City Bakery. The cafe also offers a wide selection of specialty coffee drinks, desserts, and dessert wines.

The Community Bike Project is a program to provide bicycles for people in the city. Volunteers direct an open public workshop, where community members have free access to tools and miscellaneous bike parts. Donations and new volunteers are always welcome and greatly appreciated.

A bicycle project for Bloomington was first envisioned by members of the Center for Sustainable Living in 1997. Charles Hammond, Youth Bicycle Education Network member and founder of the Bicycle Action Project (Indianapolis), was invited to present to CSL members about Youth Bicycle Education. He offered to make used bikes available to the Center if they chose to start a bicycle project. In the spring of 1998 Larry Mongin, Christine Glaser and two other CSL members began research for the bike project, including a visit to the Bicycle Action Project.

The club is best known for their semi-annual LAN Wars. These events attract 150+ gamers from all over Indiana and the Midwest. There are typically five formal tournaments and thousands of dollars worth of prizes from several notable companies. A free dinner is always provided at the event.

Most recently due to the length of the events, (typically over 27 hours long) the LAN War now hosts a Twinkie eating contest. This event is a means to give people a break from their computer games while still providing entertainment. Eight to ten people are given a 12oz. drink and 1 dozen Twinkies. The person that finishes their Twinkies first win a prize.

In the late 1970's and early 1980's, various landscaping improvements and site amenities were installed at the park. In 1994, as a result of meetings with business owners, citizens and park users concerned about park safety and cleaniness, park site amenities were replaced. The locations of benches and tables were changed, additional lighting installed, exposed aggregate sidewalks were repaired, and additional trash receptacles and ash urns were placed. In keeping with the tradtion of the park as a gathering place for socialization, and due to limited capital improvment funds, no other significant improvements of physical changes have occurred in the park's 20-year history.

In 1995, a partnership with Rhino's All-Ages Music Club resulted in the construction of a mural wall, allowing club members the opportunity to display artwork in the park. In addition, seasonal outdoor concerts were held in the park. Both programmatic initiatives have been successful and well received by the public and park users.

Monroe County Civic Theater, a not-for-profit community theater, aims to bring quality theater to Monroe County and surrounding areas and to provide experience in all aspects of theater production to all interested persons. The curtain rose on MCCT's first production on September 12th, 1986. 2006 is their twentieth season, which began with their eighty-eighth production.

Born in New Albany, Indiana, Williams' family moved around a lot when his Air Force father was re-assigned. He credits his varied experiences in other cultures with his passion for diverse world music.

The Bloomington U Club is the second location, after the original restaurant was opened at Ball State. The original restaurant was spun off and is no longer affiliated with the current U Club LLC. The owners intend to open other locations in the region.

Mark Gilcrest has ties to Bloomington, though he is a Chicago native. His parents were both native Hoosiers and went to school at Indiana University. They were also married in Bloomington. Gilcrest still maintains a home in Bloomington as well as Chicago.

Elkinsville is a small town approximately 45 minutes' drive from Bloomington. Most of the town was destroyed in 1964 when the US Army Corp claimed most of the town's land as a floodplain for the new Lake Monroe Reservoir. All farms up to 560 feet above sea level were claimed, though Elkinsville still has residents today. In addition to homesteads, the government razed the church, two one-room school houses, a blacksmith shop, a mechanic's garage and a general store. Former Elkinsville residents have been gathering annually since 1987 in current resident Bill Miller's backyard.

Located off the main Elkinsville road is the cemetary where many of the town's longtime residents and their families are laid to rest. Easily accessible via Elkinsville Cemetary Road, it has a covered picnic area as well as a rudimentary restroom maintained by volunteers. There are close to 150 gravestone markers, some dating back to the mid-1800s.

The Runcible Spoon is an eclectic coffee house on Sixth Street near Indiana University. Serving gourmet coffee and full meal service, the "Spoon" has been a longtime favorite of University students and local residents. They are known throughout the area to have a bathroom with a fishbowl in the bathtub. The name, Runcible Spoon, comes from a children's story about love, adventure, nature, and whimsy: "They dined on mince, and slices of quince, Which they ate with a runcible spoon." Elements from the story and the main characters, the owl and the pussycat, are evident throughout the restaurant's decor.

The Runcible Spoon was opened in 1976 by an IU Ph.D student, Jeff Danielson. It occupied part of the first floor of its current location.

With a license from the Rock Hill Consulting Firm in upstate New York, the Bakehouse brought an artisanal bakery to Bloomington. In May of 1995, the Bakehouse purchased a $55,000, 18,000 pound Fringard oven. It is gas fired, using bricks to retain the heat at a constant temperature. The oven was purchased direct from France and took two weeks to install. Prior to the Bakehouse's opening, Michael London, one of the founders of the Rock Hill Consulting Firm, trained the future staff.

The Cereal Barn & Peanut Butter Cafe is located in the old Bazaar Cafe location (on 6th Street next to the Runcible Spoon. The Cereal Barn is designed to offer unlimited meal and light snack options for adults, families, students and everyone young at heart. The Cereal Barn is here to offer fun, good, meals and snacks in a bright, relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere with every attention paid to YOU the customer. Fresh, Healthy, Good Tasting, Quality Products all served at a reasonable price in a fast but friendly manner.

Janko's Little Zagreb is a locally-owned steakhouse on 6th Street. Opened in 1972, the restaurant's small menu is focused on steak and it's usual accompaniments. The restaurant was initially known as the "Choo-Choo Cafe" in reference to the nearby railroad track. It initially served Yugoslavian and Eastern European cuisine, but later focused on beef. It is well known outside Bloomington and has a reputation for serving the best steak in town. The name of the restaurant comes from a nickname that the John Pouch's Croatian immigrant grandmother had for him. Zagreb is the capital of Croatia. The restuarant was initially owned by John Pouch's brother, Jeff, with John supplying the beef.

A longtime favorite of local celebrities John Mellencamp and Bobby Knight, the IU Athletics department brings a lot of their recruits to Janko's. Singer Billy Joel was quoted by the Herald Times in an interview with Mike Leonard in 1990

The Game Preserve caters to a wide variety of entertainment styles. They stock a trove of role playing games, classic board games, and miniatures, as well as family games and puzzles. Games in progress can frequently be witnessed right in the store; one might even catch a demo of a new or upcomming release. The Game Preserve is a regional chain of game stores based out of Indianapolis. The first store opened in the Fashion Mall at Keystone at the Crossing in Indianapolis on October 1, 1980. They currently have four locations: two in Indianapolis, one in West Lafayette and the Bloomington store.

They are located on the south end of the courthouse square in Fountain Square Mall right on Kirkwood. They also run a game room, also known as The Dungeon in the basement of Fountain Square, just to the right as you exit the glass elevator.

The Bloomington Playwrights Project is a successful not-for-profit arts organization dedicated to the furthering of new original plays and theatre. They produce original shows, hold playwriting contests and act as a resource for the entire community by offering innovative programs and classes. Over time the BPP has surmounted financial challenges through generous donations from friendly community and corporate sponsors. They enlist help from enthusiastic volunteers. At times dramatic, mysterious, comic or heartwarming, the BPP continues to grow and delight audiences with its original, innovative, educational and thoroughly enjoyable theatrical endeavors.

Windfall Dancers was founded in 1978 as a modern dance collective under the direction of Debbie Knapp. She and four others, Liz Monnier, Cindy Clark, Jackie Shilling Pullano and France Knable, presented their first concert in 1977. Windfall Dancers became incorporated as a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit organization the following year. The company was founded on the principles of creative exploration in movement and worked to cultivate a thriving dance community in Bloomington. As part of this mission, the Windfall School of Dance was also formed in 1978. Throughout its history, classes have been taught in all types of dance and styles of movement.

The company thrived for the next six years, but then disbanded in 1985. The school of dance persisted during the company's hiatus and continued to flourish. In 1987 the Windfall Youth Ensemble was formed as a forum for young dancers to choreograph and perform. A year later, in 1988, Windfall Dancers became active once again

The Indiana UniversityGlobal Research Network Operations Center (GRNOC) provides network design and monitoring services to most of the major US Research and Education (R&E) networks. The GRNOC is comprised of two major components, engineering and the operations center. The engineering staff has support and design responsibilities to GRNOC managed networks, while the operations center provides 24x7 monitoring and call center responsibilities. Engineering is staffed betwee 8 and 5 on the weekdays, but provides after hours support on a rotational basis.

The heart of the GRNOC is housed at IUPUI in the ICTC bulding. It houses the 24x7x365 call center that's staffed by NOC operations staff. There is also a smaller group of engineers near the NOC in the same building. The bulk of the engineering staff is housed in Bloomington at the Communications Services Building at 10th Street and the 45/46 Bypass. The two engineering groups are kept in constant contact through a constant HDTV video teleconference stream between campuses.

The Jacobs School of Music - As one of the most comprehensive and acclaimed institutions for the study of music, the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music plays a key role in educating performers, scholars, and music educators who influence music performance and education around the globe. The more than 1,600 students who study at the Jacobs School benefit from the intensity and focus of a conservatory combined with the broad academic offerings of a major university. The more than 150 full-time faculty members in residence at the Jacobs School include performers, scholars, and teachers of international renown. In addition, many top musicians and scholars come to the school each year to give master classes and guest lectures or to serve as visiting artistic directors, conductors, and faculty.

Eigenmann Hall, currently officially known now as Eigenmann Residence Center, is a 14 story dormitory on the Indiana University campus located at 1900 E. 10th Street. It was built in the 1960s and is one of the tallest buildings in Bloomington. It is named for Carl Eigenmann, a famous icthyologist. Eigenmann has four wings. The wing of each floor connects at an open common area with 4 elevators. For a long period of time, Eigenmann Hall was a hot spot for international students. Because it housed most of the international students who lived on campus, it was the only dorm that was open year round including during all school breaks. At one point, students from over 100 different countries speaking over 40 different languages lived there. Some adventurous Americans lived there for the experience of having neighbors from many different cultures living on your floor. It was also a popular spot for graduate students. It was the melting pot of Bloomington.

Caveat Emptor is a used bookstore located at 112 W. Walnut Street, on the east side of the courthouse square. The staff tends to be helpful and enthusiastic about helping any customer find a book they might have stashed away somewhere in their overflowing collection of tomes. Their collection is very eclectic, containing books of fiction and non-fiction from a plethora of genres, and most books are for sale at a cost much lower than the same books would be new. Many out-of-print works or other rare volumes can be found amongst the horde. Caveat Emptor was Bloomington's first used book store. It got started sharing a building with a copying company, moved briefly to a location on Dunn Street, and finally came to rest at its current location on the courthouse square. At first the store had a comic book counter, which still exists today in the form of Vintage Phoenix. The store also used to carry records, which were dropped. They do, however, have a collection of used CDs in addition to the myriads of used books.